Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. H. PEGRAM.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 268,042. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

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M fl yaw/M (-No Model.) 2.Sheets-Sheet 2.

' T. H. PE-GRAM GAR COUPLING. No. 268,042. Patented Nov. 28, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ THOMAS H PEGRAM, OF WINSTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,042, dated November 28, 1882,

Application filed May 4, 1832 (No model.)

To all whom a may. concern Be it known that I, THOMAS HOWARD PE- GRAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winston, in the county of Forsyth and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in, Car Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplings; and my said invention consists in certain nove'l constructions and arrangements of the parts whereby the coupling of the cars is performed automatically, and the uncoupling may be performed without entering between the cars.

My invention has for its object so constructing and arranging the parts or devices that lock or couple the cars of a railroad-train together that the operation of coupling is performed automatically by the cars coming together. Thus injury and loss of lifeheretofore so frequent to the brakemen from going between the cars to couple them are entirely avoided, with my construction of the parts there being no occasion to go between the cars at all.

My invention relates particularly to box and freight cars, and the particular points of invention upon which claims are based are, first, a novel construction of the coupling-pin, the same having a conical or tapered shouldered head, which pin, in connection with a guide placed above it and into which the conical head is received, and a seat formed on the top of the draw-head, is suspended and held in a vertical position above the pinhole inthe drawhead when the cars are uncoupled; second, the combination, with the coupling-pin having an enlarged shouldered conical head,of a stop for the same, a draw-head with shoulder upon which said pin rests, and a piece on the opposite car for tripping the pin as the cars come together; third, a novel construction of the coupling-link, the same having a perforated extension and being secured to the drawhead by a vertical removable pin, and having a rod secured vertically thereto, to the top of which rod is a horizontal arm by which the link through the vertical rod is operated; fourth, certain novel constructions and arrangements of the parts whereby the operation of coupling and uncoupling railroad-cars is performed automatically and either at the side, top, or end of the cars.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a portion of two adjacent cars provided with my proposed system of parts to form an automatic carooupling, the cars being shown as coupled; Fig.2, an end view of the car having the coupling-link, showing the proposed construction of parts for guiding the link without going between the cars; Fig. 3, an end view of the car having the coupling'pin, showing the arrangement of pin-lifting cord, the pin being in position ready for coupling. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal vertical central section through the draw-heads, showing the internal shape. of the same and the construction of the link and its mode of attachment to said drawhead; Fig. 5, a detached view of the coupling-pin, showing its guide in section above it, the pin being shown in its position when the cars are uncoupled; Fig. '6, a detached view of the coupling-link, showing the construction of the same.

A A represent two adjacent railroad box freight-cars, to the rear end of the one A of which the coupling-pin and its operating devices are attached, and to the front end of the one A the link and its operating devices and the pin-tripping device are attached. B B are the draw-heads.

(J is the coupling-link, and D the couplingpin. The coupling-pin D is, as shown in Fig. 5, made with an enlarged top portion or head, D, conical shaped, the taper being toward the top.

d is a shoulder formed around thelower portion of the head of the pin, and d is a loop for attaching the lifting rope or chain E.

The pin-hole b in the top of the draw-head B is made elongated, and at the front top edge of the'draw-head is formed a seat, 12 for the I IOO of the'car, is a piece, G, which projects sufficiently far forward from the car and is in such position in relation to the coupling-pin that when the pin is resting upon the seat b the top end of said pin or conical portion D is received into a conical-shaped hole formed in said piece G. This piece G therefore acts as a guide and stop for the pin, and holds the same in a vertical position, as will be seen.

Attached to the top end of the pin D is a rope or chain, E, which goes vertically through a guide, H, having a pulley, H, and thence over a pulley, I, at the top, side, or end of the car. This rope may hang down from this pul-. ley, or it may continue onward to the front of the train and be operated by the engineer, if desired. Instead of this rope or chain, a lever pivoted to the end of the car and attached at one end to the pin may be employed in place thereof, if desired or found most convenient. The shoulder 61 on the head, coming against the guide-piece G, prevents the too far vertical lifting of the spring, and atlange, b ,formed around the seat I) on the head, prevents the lateral displacement of the pin. The pin is therefore, as will be seen, always held directly in front of the pin-hole b. This completes the description of the pin and its lifting devices.

The operation of these parts is as follows: The pin is lifted by the cord E. Its too far vertical movement is prevented by the stop G, which also prevents lateral play thereof. After raising the pin above the top ofthe draw-head it swings by gravity slightly forward and rests upon the seat I) in the position represented in Figs. 3 and 5. The lifting and holding of a coupling-pin of a railroad-car in position for coupling without entering between the cars are thus secured.

I will now proceed to describe the devices for tripping the coupling-pin and centering the coupling-link-the remaining devices necessary to form a complete car-coupling.

The couplinglink (J is formed, as shown in Fig. 6, with a rear extension, 0, having two holes, 0 c, therein. Into the one 0 is secured a vertically- -arranged rod, J, and through the other hole, 0, passes an ordinary pin, K, which, passing through the hole b in the draw-head B, secures the link in place therein. "The rod J is provided at its top end with a pivoted arm or lever, J.

L is a piece secured to the front of the car A and projecting sufficiently far from the front of said car to strike the coupling-pin D and drive the same forward when the cars come together. This piece therefore forms the pintripping device or means for automatically op erating the coupling-pin as the cars come together. It also forms a guide for the rod J. which passes through an opening, Z, in said piece L.

M is the bearing for the lever J, of such a construction as to permit of both a slight vertical and lateral movement of said lever. Bya

vertical movement of this lever J the coupling-link is raised or lowered, and by a lateral movement the link is caused to move laterally. Thus provision is made whereby the link will accommodate itself to any height draw-head, or whether the said draw-head be in line or otherwise.

The operation of the parts is as follows: The coupling-pin being lifted, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, as the cars approach, the link is centered by manipulating the hand-lever J. Just as the bumpers are about to strike the piece L comes against the coupling-pin D and carries it back as the cars draw together. By the time the pin is over the pin-hole the link is back in its place in the mouth of the draw-head. Therefore when the link drops down into the drawhead it passes through said link and effects the coupling of the cars. Both the inside and outside ends of the opening in the draw-head are made flaring, as shown in Fig. 4, to permit a free play of the end of the link.

The advantages of this construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described are, briefly, the entire operation of coupling and uncoupling railroad-cars may be per- .formed simply and effectually without enterlng between the cars. The risk and danger of so doing are therefore avoided.

A double set or system of the pin, its coupling and tripping devices may be arranged on both ends of the cars, so that the cars may be coupled no matter which end he presented.

Having thus fully described myinvention, its

construction, mode of operation, 850., what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is V 1. In a car-coupling, the coupling-pin D, with enlarged shouldered conical head D, combined with a stop, G, and a draw-head having an elongated pin-hole and seat on its top edge, as hereinbefore set forth and shown.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the pin D, with enlarged shouldered conical head D, stop G, and draw-head having a seat on its top edge, of the piece L for tripping the coupling-pin, as and for the purposes described.

3. In a car-coupling, the coupling-link composed of the usual-shaped loop 0, with perforated extension 0 0 a, secured to the drawhead by a vertical removable pin, K, and having a rod, J, secured vertically thereto, operated by a horizontal arm,J, attached to said rod, as and for the purposes described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination and arrangement of pin 1), with enlarged conical head, stop G, with tapered hole therein, drawhead B, with seat at its top front edge, and rope E, passing over pulleys at top and side of the car, for lifting and holding in a suspended vertical position the coupling-pin, as described.

5. The combination and arrangement, in a car-coupling, with a draw-head having a seat on its top front edge, a weighted couplingpin with enlarged. conical head, a stop-with conical seat for the pin, arranged on the end of one car, of a coupling-link secured to the draw-headby separate removable vertical pin, and having secured thereto a vertical rod with lever-arm, by which said link is operated, and a projecting piece acting to strike the coupling-pin and trip the same on the opposite car, all substantially as and for the purposes described;

THOMAS HOWARD PEGRAM. In presence of- WADE H. BYMUN, LUTHER L. CAMPBELL. 

